Timeless Torah

It wasn’t his connections in high places, his former status as advisor to the Pharaoh, his previous job as High Priest of Midian or his relationship to Moshe Rabbeinu that catapulted him to immortal fame by having an entire Torah portion named Yisro - it was his advice.

At first glance this is quite perplexing. Wasn’t Yisro only protecting his son-in-law Moshe from a taxing and impossible job? You look puzzled, as if you are not following my train of thought. Maybe I should start at the beginning. Yisro, the father-in-law of Moses saw that the entire judicial system had fallen on Moshe’s shoulders. As the only judge adjudicating cases, the load was piling up with the people standing around waiting “from morning until evening.” Yisro, concerned with his son-in-law’s welfare pointed out, “You are going to wear yourself out.”

Based upon this common interpretation of those events, what was so meritorious of Yisro’s advice that earned him such an exalted place in our history? It seems solely motivated by familial compassion. However, read the Torah’s wording carefully and you will discern that Yisro had another issue on his mind. “And Moshe’s father-in-law saw everything that he was doing to the people and he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing to the people.’”

Yisro did not begin his dialogue, “What are you doing to yourself.” That only came afterwards. His major concern was that Moshe, by establishing himself as the sole halachic authority, was preventing other gifted individuals from realizing their potential.

It was as if Yisro was prophesying, “Stay on this path and everyone will think you are the only person capable of being a judge. No one else will ever bother improving themselves intellectually in Torah…and that my dear son-in-law, will without question, eventually destroy this people.”

This also explains Yisro’s further statement, “You will surely wither away, you and also this people.” Herein lies an explicit warning. If Moshe, who is only mortal and one day must die, does not prepare qualified leaders, there will be no one left to transmit the Torah to future generations.

Jewish schools, organizations and Rabbis, present company included, must not only see fit to educate students, but to raise leaders. Otherwise, we not only shortchange our pupils, we fail the next generation.